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The Washington Wizards and New York Knicks battle it out for the final time in this campaign at Madison Square Garden, as Russell Westbrook and Co. look to avoid a 3-0 season series sweep.
In their previous encounter last night, the Knicks routed the Wizards 131-113, thanks to a 37-point effort from Julius Randle.
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The Washington Wizards have now lost nine of their last eleven games and have failed to make a good start to their second-half of the campaign. This has reduced their season record to 15-27 as they now find themselves in 13th position in the Eastern Conference standings.
The New York Knicks's form has been indifferent lately after recording five wins in their last ten games, failing to build a win-streak in the process. However, they seemed to have rediscovered their mojo after winning the last game and will look to build on a streak from here on. They currently rank seventh in the east with a 22-22 season record.
Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks prediction
The Washington Wizards appear to be low on confidence after a poor string of results in the last few weeks and will be the underdogs heading into this matchup. Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook desperately need support from other players in the team to help their side to get back to winning ways again.
The Wizards' struggles on the defensive end is another reason they haven't been able to churn out the desired results.
The New York Knicks, meanwhile, despite their inconsistent run in the last ten outings look like a better side compared to their counterparts. They will be more motivated than the Washington Wizards as their chances of making it to the payoffs are much better this season.
Considering the factors mentioned above, the New York Knicks look likely to win the matchup. The Knicks will also have momentum on their side due to their emphatic win in the last game over the Washington Wizards. Nevertheless, the Wizards are an unpredictable side, which is something Randle and the crew should be wary of heading into this tie.
Washington Wizards vs New York Knicks combined starting 5
Point Guard - Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard - Bradley Beal | Small Forward - RJ Barrett | Power Forward - Julius Randle | Center - Mitchell Robinson
In our combined five lineup, Russell Westbrook will start the proceedings alongside Bradley Beal on the backcourt. The two Washington Wizards' guards are having a belter of a season in terms of individual performances.
Russell Westbrook is almost averaging a triple-double per game this season, with 21.7 points, 10.3 assists, and 9.5 rebounds. Bradley Beal, on the other hand, is leading the scoring charts in all of the NBA with 31.5 points per game this season.
With the Washington Wizards stars claiming the two-guard positions, it's the New York Knicks star duo of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle that claims the two forward positions in our combined starting five.
RJ Barrett has complemented Julius Randle well this season, scoring 17.3 points and making 6.1 rebounds per game so far. The youngster has hit top form in recent weeks and is averaging 20.8 points since the start of March, helping the Knicks stay in the reckoning for direct playoffs qualification to a great extent.
Julius Randle, meanwhile, has been a revelation this season for the New York Knicks. His stellar display helped him earn his All-Star game debut as well. He is leading the Knicks roster in scoring, rebounding and assisting averages so far, averaging 23.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
With the Washington Wizards' Thomas Bryant out injured, Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks gets the nod as the center in our combined five lineup. He might not be an efficient scorer on a nightly basis, but if his last game is anything to go by where he scored 16 points, he could be a handy player when on song. Robinson is a solid player on the defensive end as well and is a constant threat inside the paint. He is averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game to show for it this season.
